Gad Elmaleh Returns to France with New Show Exploring Immigrant Experience

For these reunions, Gad Elmaleh has indulged in the game of taking stock of an artistic life made of laughter, travel, multicultural anecdotes, intense sorrows and the will to hold on despite everything. In an exclusive interview with Le Petit Journal, the Moroccan artist indicated that two reasons justify the title of this new show.

The "from elsewhere" has a geographical, identity meaning. "I am indeed from elsewhere. I am an immigrant, an expatriate. I have always been since I was born and raised in Morocco. I immigrated to Quebec, more precisely to Montreal. I was then the Moroccan student in Canada. And then I came to France and strangely, the French took me for a Quebecer. They found it more original that I came from Canada rather than from Morocco. Then I went to live in the United States. There, I was the Frenchman. I enjoyed these multiple identities."

As for the second meaning of this new show, Gad Elmaleh explains that it is "a form of interjection to draw the attention of his audience. It makes sense for this show which is somewhere a balance sheet, at my 50 years old. This show is very intimate and with everything we have been through with this pandemic, I wanted us to take stock."

For the comedian, all his travels have been a source of inspiration for him. "I talk about the places I come from to put them in perspective. This offers people who live in these places, whether the United States, Quebec or France, another vision of their own cultural landscape."

When asked what lesson can be drawn from this show, he replies that it brings a message of truth. "I attack this show with sadder themes than usual since I talk about death, religion in France, secularism. I try to send a message of fraternity, but also a message of truth. Let’s stop turning a blind eye," he stressed.

Regarding his American parenthesis, Gad Elmaleh describes it as an enriching experience that he had to live at a certain point in his professional career. "It was really the realization of a dream, a fantasy. I dreamed of one day being on Jimmy Fallon’s couch and I’m super proud to have done it. After that, I have to say that our cultures are so far apart, that it wasn’t always easy. And then, it wasn’t possible to stay away from my youngest son. If, as an expatriate, you really want to succeed and be an actor in the society you embrace, you have to stay there. You have to take the time to build relationships on the spot and be present in order to seize opportunities. It was hard for me because I only spent a few weeks or 2 months at a time on each trip. There were opportunities that could have grown more, but I’m not frustrated. I’ve lived some very beautiful things and I’ve gone all the way with this desire to remain a father connected to my children," he said.

Absent from the French stage for five years, the artist is happy to be able to reconnect and even talks about a reconnection. "France allowed me to realize myself as an artist. This is not a formula, it is a reality. I had to fight. It wasn’t easy. But France opened its arms to me and it is thanks to it that I was able to become an artist." But on the list of the artist’s favorites, there is also Quebec, which will welcome him on October 30. He already announces that these reunions will be charged with intense emotions.

"Quebec is an important place for me. I spent four very important years there. This expatriation took place at a pivotal moment in the life of a young man between 17 and 21 years old, and I have very strong memories of it. It was an awakening to North American culture, to women, to the American-style school. I also lived a certain loneliness there and I learned to adapt to another culture. I experienced a lot of new things as a young Moroccan. Quebec is also where I took my first steps as a comedian."